Suspicious Fire Destroys Problematic Apartment Building in St. Stephen, NB

A suspicious fire at 80 Union Street in St. Stephen has led to the complete demolition of the vacant building, which has long been a source of concern for neighbours. The fire broke out overnight on Monday, June 17, and while there were no injuries, the remains of the building were torn down the following day due to the severe damage. The St. Stephen RCMP, along with the New Brunswick Fire Marshal's Office, are investigating the incident as suspicious in nature.

"The fire at 80 Union is still under investigation," Sergeant Scott Mackenzie of the St. Stephen RCMP told CHCO-TV. "Our investigators, along with the office of the fire marshal, are continuing the investigation, and we would ask if anyone has any information, whether it's video or or anything that they know or might have seen, to please contact us or Crime Stoppers."

80 Union Street, owned by Alberta-based Annette Penkala under Starshine Properties, has been empty for some time, leading to repeated break-ins and squatting. Neighbours have frequently raised alarms about the safety hazards posed by the neglected building.

David Whittingham says that when he moved beside 80 Union just over five years ago, he didn't initially have any issues with the building or its residents. 

"Initially, when we moved in here, it wasn't too bad," said Whittingham. "It's a rental building with eight or nine units, and then it increasingly got more and more rowdy and out of control, to the point that last year, by the end of August, early September, the majority of people in there, except for a couple of units, were squatters. And then people started breaking in again more recently. And then last Monday, there was a fire started."

Ron Jodrie, who has lived across the street from 80 Union for nearly fifty years, says safety concerns regarding the building have only arisen in recent years.

"There were all kinds of issues that we were witnessing emergency vehicles there on a regular basis--almost, I won't say every night, but it seemed like every night," said Jodrie. " And we were awakened in the middle of the night by arguing, fighting, profanity, people urinating on the property. I mean, all kinds of stuff like that going on, and it was just constant. Not a nice environment to live in."

Starshine Properties notably purchased about 20 properties in southwestern New Brunswick during the COVID-19 pandemic with several now facing issues of disrepair and neglect. It is worth noting that a few properties owned by Starshine, including 80 Union, will be sold at a mortgage auction this July. CHCO-TV will continue to follow this story.

The first public consultation session for the updated Municipal Plan and Zoning By-Law in Saint Andrews took place Monday night at the Chapel of Ease in Chamcook. This session marked the beginning of a series of meetings aimed at incorporating feedback from the community as the new municipal plan will now include Bayside and Chamcook.

There are a few more opportunities to have your voice heard for those who couldn't attend. Additional sessions are scheduled for July 3, 8 and 10. Visit the Town website at townofsaintandrews.ca for more information. 

Finally, nearly 200 people gathered on Monday night to honour the memory of beloved Charlotte County resident Susan Hill at the Eastern Charlotte Community Kitchen Monday Dinner held at Magaguadavic Place in St. George. Susan, a renowned photographer, captured the essence of the community in her photos and was an ambassador for Charlotte County in everything she did.

Susan's best friend Faith Avery, who sat on the board of Eastern Charlotte Community Kitchen with Susan, says Susan has touched everyone in the community, and everyone has had their photo taken by her. 

"Everybody has a picture of hers somewhere, whether she took it for them or they've got it off of Facebook," said Avery. "She donated all her time to events. She never took a cent from any event. So she was there for the community."

Fundy-the Isles-Saint John West MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason echoes Avery in how she sees Hill's impact.

"She captured the memories of our life. And I don't think I think that you can really appreciate it until you look back and realise how many fingerprints she left on all of our hearts," said Anderson-Mason.

Susan's passion for documenting the community and capturing important moments, both big and small, was evident in everything she did. She will be dearly missed.